Substance Use

Alcohol

Heavy drinking

In 2015/16, the age-standardized percentage of adults of legal drinking age in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region who drank five or more drinks on at least one occasion per month in the previous 12 months (22%) was statistically similar to the same percentage in Ontario (19%).

Low risk drinking guidelines

In 2015/16, the age-standardized percentage of adults of legal drinking age in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region who exceeded the Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (54%) was statistically similar to the same percentage in Ontario (44%).

Alcohol use in students

The proportion of students in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region who reported alcohol use in the past year (55.4%) is significantly higher than Ontario students who reported alcohol use (45.8%), but similar to students in other northern regions that reported alcohol use (51.5%). The percentage of students that reported alcohol use in 2014/15 is similar to 2010/11 in the Health Unit region and other northern regions, but lower in Ontario.

Alcohol use in adults - Let's start the conversation

A combination of statistics and narrative form the basis for the following report, which aims to start the conversation about alcohol in our community. Strategies for helping our community move from a culture that values heavy drinking, to one that is educated and practices moderation, are also discussed. Let's Start the Conversation: Alcohol use among adults in our community (April 2017).

Alcohol use during pregnancy

About 5.4% of pregnant women living in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region reported drinking alcohol during pregnancy in 2016, about double the percentage for pregnant women in Ontario (2.5%).

Cannabis

General trends

Lifetime cannabis use is significantly higher within the Health Unit region (51.4%) compared to Ontario (40.1%). Use of any illicit drug or cannabis during the lifetime is significantly higher among both males and females, 20 to 44 year olds, as well as 45 to 64 year olds in the Health Unit region compared to Ontario.

Use by students

Cannabis Use Among Students in the Grades 7 to 12 in the NBPSDHU Region talks about student use of cannabis by gender and grade. Details include frequency of use, attitudes about cannabis use, and driving after using cannabis.

Cigarettes and other tobacco

Smoking

In 2015/16, the age-standardized percentage of current (includes daily and occasional) adult smokers (23%) and daily adult smokers (18%) in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region was statistically similar to percentages of current smokers (18%) and daily smokers (12%) in Ontario. Of the adult population that did not smoke, 25% of adult non-smokers reported being former smokers in the Health Unit region compared to 24% of Ontario adult non-smokers. About a third of the adult population in the Health Unit region (42%) have abstained from smoking, statistically similar compared to 45% of adults in Ontario.

Quit intentions and attempts (Smoking cessation)

In 2013/14, about four in ten smokers within the Health Unit region have seriously considered quitting within the next 30 days, similar to the percentage for smokers in the North East LHIN and Ontario. About six in ten smokers in our region have seriously considered quitting within the next six months in 2013/14, similar compared to smokers in the North East LHIN region and Ontario.

Cigarette and tobacco use by students

The proportion of students in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region who reported using tobacco cigarettes (excluding a few puffs) in the previous 12 months during the 2014/15 school year (12.6%) is similar to the proportion of students in other northern regions (11.7%) and Ontario (8.6%) that reported smoking in the previous year.

In 2014/15, 4.8% students in the Health Unit region smoked one whole tobacco cigarette for the very first time in the past year, similar to the percentages for students in other northern regions (8.0%) and Ontario (6.3%).

About one in three students (28.7%) in the Health Unit region reported smoking tobacco cigarettes in their lives, similar to the percentage for students in other northern regions (24.4%) but significantly higher compared to Ontario students (19.1%).

A significantly higher percentage of Aboriginal students in other northern regions and Ontario reported lifetime tobacco cigarette use, as compared to non-Aboriginal students. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in the NBPSDHU region reported similar lifetime use of tobacco cigarettes.

Exposure to cigarette smoke

In 2013/14, about eight of every ten households in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) region did not allow smoking inside the home, significantly lower compared to Ontario households where about nine of every ten households prohibited smoking inside the home.

In 2013/14, about one of every ten non-smokers of the age-standardized population aged 12 years or older in the Health Unit region reported exposure to second-hand smoke in a private vehicle, statistically similar to estimates for the population in the North East LHIN region and Ontario.

In 2013/14, about three of every twenty non-smokers of the age-standardized population aged 12 years or older within the Health Unit region were exposed to second-hand smoke in a public place, statistically similar to estimates from the population in the North East LHIN region and Ontario.

Read more in our report Exposure to Cigarette Smoke in the Health Unit region (April 2018). This report presents data from the 2013/14 Canadian Community Health Survey. Topics are described by the following dimensions: Geography (Health Unit, North East LHIN, and Ontario); Gender (Male, Female); and, Adjusted Household Income Level (Low income, Middle income, High income).

Other Tobacco Use

In 2013/14, 6.0% of the population aged 12 years or older in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region smoked cigars, pipes, or used snuff, or chewing tobacco in the previous month, similar to the percentage for the North East LHIN region (7.1%) and Ontario (5.2%). Percentages have not changed significantly since 2007/08 for any type of other tobacco use in any of the three regions.

Illicit drugs

Illicit drug use in adults

Between 2009 and 2012, 51.7% of the adult population in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region reported using an illegal drug in their lifetime, significantly higher compared to the Ontario age-standardized percentage (40.6%). In other words, about 11% more of the population in the Health Unit region tried an illegal drug.

Lifetime cannabis use is significantly higher within the Health Unit region (51.4%) compared to Ontario (40.1%). Use of any illicit drug or cannabis during the lifetime is significantly higher among both males and females, 20 to 44 year olds, as well as 45 to 64 year olds in the Health Unit region compared to Ontario.

Illicit drug use among expectant mothers

Substance use by students

The proportion of students in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region who reported illegal substance use in their lifetime in 2014/15 (26.5%) is comparable to other northern regions (23.7%) and Ontario (22.8%).

Males and females reported using illegal substances in comparable proportions, however, a significantly higher proportion of female students in the Health Unit region reported using illegal substances compared to all female students in Ontario.

Significantly more students in grades 11 to 12 in the Health Unit region reported illegal substance use compared to students in grades 7 to 8.

The percentage of self-identified Aboriginal students who reported illegal substance use did not differ from non-Aboriginal students in the Health Unit region or Ontario. The percentage of students who reported illegal substance use did not differ by perceived socioeconomic status in any of the three regions.

Opioid related emergency department visits and deaths

Morbidity and mortality

In 2017, the crude rate for opioid-related emergency departments in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region was among the highest rates in the past 12 years, and similar to the Ontario rate in 2017.

The crude death rate in the Health Unit region was similar to the death rate in Ontario during 2017. Crude death rates were significantly higher in the Health Unit region between 2010 and 2014, compared to Ontario.

Read more in our report Opioid-related Morbidity & Mortality - 2005 - 2017 (July 2018). This report summarizes opioid-related emergency department visits & deaths in the Health Unit region, and makes comparisons to Ontario rates in the overall population and by sex and age group.

Emergency department visits due to opioid poisoning

Number of emergency department visits due to opioid poisoning by month made to hospitals in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Region.

The following data should be considered preliminary and subject to change as emergency departments continue to submit data.

Month

2017

2018

January

Not available

6

February

Not available

9

March

Not available

5

April

6

8

May

Suppressed*

7

June

Suppressed*

12

July

Suppressed*

9

August

7

15

September

7

8

October

8

Suppressed*

November

Suppressed*

Suppressed*

December

5

*Emergency department visits between 1 and 4 are suppressed to maintain patient privacy

Data notes:

This data source also only captures overdoses where patients visited the emergency department. It is likely these data under represents the true burden of overdose in the population.

This data source includes all visits to hospitals in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit region, including those who are residents of other municipalities accessing care in the Health Unit region.